Hadith 37: Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) bathing in front of two men
Abu Salamah bin Abdur Rahman narrates:
دخلت على عائشة رضي الله عنها أنا وأخوها من الرضاعة فسألها عن غسل النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم من الجنابة فدعت بإناء قدر الصاع فاغتسلت وبيننا وبينها ستر فأفرغت على رأسها ثلاثا قال وكان أزواج النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يأخذن من رؤوسهن حتى تكون كالوفرة
“When I and Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her)ʼs milk-brother went to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), her milk-brother inquired about the Ghusl Janabat of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), so she brought approximately one Sa’ of water and performed the Ghusl, while there was a curtain between us and them. She poured water over her head three times. The narrator states that the purified wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to cut their hair until it became like a ‘wafrah’ (covering the ears).”
The first objection of the deniers regarding this hadith is: why did Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) perform Ghusl in front of these men? The second objection is: if there was a curtain between them, then how was the method of Ghusl explained? And the third objection is: that the purified wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) kept their hair like wafrah.
Answer:
The answer to the first objection is clear that there was a curtain in between, as is evident from the hadith. Also, among the two men who inquired about the matter, one was her nephew and the other was her milk-brother, in front of whom it is permissible to show adornment, but being naked is forbidden.
The answer to the second objection is that they did not ask about the method of ghusl (ritual bath) for you to have shown them the ghusl and how the method was known from behind the curtain. Rather, the intention was to inform about the quantity of water, that a woman can perform ghusl with one Sa’ of water, so a man can certainly perform ghusl with that amount. Imam Muslim mentioned this hadith under the title ”قدر المستحب من الماء“ and Imam Bukhari under ”الغسل بالصاع“, which indicates the quantity of water, not the method of ghusl. If water was poured on the head in their presence, it is permissible because these two men were such that it is permissible to show adornment in front of them, and the hair on the head is included in adornment.
The answer to the third objection is that scholars differ regarding a woman cutting her hair up to the mentioned quantity. According to some scholars, it is permissible based on Muslim’s narration, while others do not consider it permissible and regard it as the personal practice of the Mothers of the Believers. It should be noted that during the life of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), the pure wives did not cut their hair. The evidence for this is the narration of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her). She said that she asked the Prophet (peace be upon him):
إني امرأة أشد ضفر رأسي أفأنقضه لغسل الجنابة
“I used to tie my hair tightly in braids; should I untie them during ghusl?”
Another hadith narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) states that she had menstruation at the time of Ihram while Hajj was near, so the Prophet (peace be upon him) told her:
انقضي رأسك وامتشطي
“Untie your hair and comb it.”
From these hadiths, it is understood that the hair of the pure wives was intact. However, after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him), there are mentions regarding the Mothers of the Believers. Some scholars interpret this as abandoning adornment, that the Mothers of the Believers did this after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to abandon adornment, while others consider cutting hair to that extent permissible with the condition of not resembling men, immoral women, or disbelievers, and with the husband’s permission.
